Except for summertime humidity, the Florida and Connecticut “climates” don’t have a lot in common.
For example, Connecticut has one of the best climates for health and health care, while Florida’s is in the bottom half. On the other hand, Florida has one of the best business tax climates, while Connecticut’s is near the rear.
Their political climates are also polar opposites. Florida’s governor is a Republican, and its Legislature is overwhelmingly Republican. Connecticut’s governor is a Democrat, and its legislature is overwhelmingly Democratic.
And the difference in their policy climates is reflected in the way they handled their 2011 budget crises. Connecticut raised taxes and cut spending, while Florida just cut spending. As a result, Connecticut’s budget now balanced. Florida, meanwhile, extended its crisis by another year. And its Governor has just proposed cutting $2 billion from health services alone in his proposed new budget.
But for two states with so little in common, their emerging 2012 Medicaid cost containment strategies are remarkably similar echoes of the ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge.
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